Does having a sexually transmitted disease affect my pregnancy options?                 Yes! When considering your pregnancy options, it is important to know if you have a Sexually Transmitted Disease.  It is always best to be treated for a STD as soon as possible.  Women who have an untreated STD (like Chlamydia or Gonorrhea) are up to 25% more likely to develop Pelvic Inflamatory Disease (PID) following an abortion procedure.   It is important to be tested for STDs prior to making any decisions about the outcome of your pregnancy.  See consequences of PID below. 

I've heard that there is a “Silent Epidemic” of STD's.  What does that mean?                An epidemic is the rapid spread or occurrence of something.  That could apply to STI's today as the estimated number of people living with a sexually transmitted disease in the United States is over 65 million.  Every year, there are approximately 15 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases .  About 66% of all sexually transmitted diseases occur in people 25 years of age or younger.   1 in 4 teenage girls has at least one STD.

It's often called "Silent" because many STD's can occur without symptoms and often go undetected until permanent damage has occurred - such as sterility or cancer of the cervix.  An infected person can infect others even if he or she appears to be healthy. 

Can I get an STD if I am using contraceptives?  

Yes. 

• "HPV, also known as Genital warts, is not preventable by any contraceptive, including condoms." - From a Congressional Report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Hormonal contraceptives (i.e. birth control pills, shot patch, ring) do not prevente STD's. They actually alter the female genital tract, increasing a woman's risk of contracting Chlamyida and HIV. 

•  Barrier contraceptives (I.e. condoms, diaphram, cervical cap) can increase vaginal   irritation, increasing STD risk.   

Is it true that I'm at higher risk for contracting STDs if I use hormonal contraceptives (the Pill, Depo, the Patch, etc.)?                                                                                                                 Yes.  You are at a higher risk for contracting at least three different STD's:

• HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which is a primary cause of cervical cancer.  No contraceptives protect against it.
• Chlamydia which is the most common STD.  Use of hormonal contraceptives increases the risk of contracting Chlamydia.
• Contraceptive use creates a genital environment that makes contracting HIV easier. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.                   

Condoms prevent STI’s, right?  How safe are they?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) put together 138 scientific studies from around the world and found that there is no clinical proof that condoms are effective in preventing several STI’s and only 85% effective in preventing the transmission of the HIV virus.

 Also, people who use condoms have "safer" sex more often, increasing their risk of STD exposure.

Can I die from having an STD?

Yes.   You can have an STD and experience no symptoms and therefore go untreated, which can lead  to things like:

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).  In women, PID may cause infertility and/ scarring of the genital tract.   This can cause an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy growing outside of the uterus in which the baby almost always dies and can be life threatening to the mother).
• Cervical cancer, which can lead to death if undetected.
• Some of the viral STDs are infectious for life.  Recurring symptoms can be treated, but not cured.   Men and women who have any STD are up to five times more likely to contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
• AIDS kills your immune system.  You don't die from AIDS but from something your body was not able to fight off.

Have more questions?                                                                                      You'll find more answers at www.LoveFacts.org.